That evening, Rempel, who has an economics degree, tweeted a link to a Calgary Herald story with Nenshi's comments. She wrote: "Wherein @nenshi mansplains to me, and small business owners in Calgary, that 'math is hard.'''

Kara Levis, a board member with the group Ask Her, said there was disrespect on both sides of the Rempel-Nenshi argument.

Ask Her's goal is to encourage more women to get involved in Calgary municipal politics. Levis said she believes more diversity in politics generally would help elevate the discourse.

"All politicians should take it upon themselves to ... be respectful and have an actual high-level debate,'' she said.

" Politicians used to talk respectfully to each other and disagree about policy issues, but they wouldn't attack each other."

"This is something that has actually fallen off of the political radar in the past 20 years or so. Politicians used to talk respectfully to each other and disagree about policy issues, but they wouldn't attack each other.''

Levis was commenting on behalf of Ask Her, but she is also president of the National Women's Liberal Commission and worked on former TV journalist Nirmala Naidoo's campaign for a Liberal seat in Calgary in the 2015 federal election.

Levis said remarks targeting a politician's math acumen aren't inherently sexist, but "it has in the past been levied at women quite frequently.''

"Gender is not part of that statement, but it is certainly a disrespectful statement to be making in what we would hope to be a more civil political discussion.''